


Through blood and steel -- An original Homestuck AU.

by nixxy



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 07:11:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1501388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nixxy/pseuds/nixxy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the game, the humans were given the prize, becoming deities over a new, almost medieval Alternia. The trolls were sent down to this new Alternia with no recollection of the game or the old Alternia. </p>
<p>Although when tension brews in Alternia when worship of The Knight is forbidden due to finding out he was a mutant, Karkat becomes a fugitive, and he embarks on a mission to find the gods, to find his destiny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In the beginning, The Knight was crowned King.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this is something I've been thinking about writing for a while; and I've only just gotten around to it. Do excuse any typos or mistakes, as there are currently no beta readers. It may be rather slow to get going properly and actually introduce everyone, but I intend for this story to be quite long, and hope for your support as it goes on.

 

> **"In the beginning, The Knight was crowned King; and The Witch seated beside him as the Queen. They oversaw the creation of Alternus, our plane of mortal existence, and smiled upon us when the Maid gave us life and breath." -- Volume of Rubric; Canticle of Epoch.**

The almost 'stubby' troll trudged through the streets of his hometown of Merinius, a fishing port and 'Trading jewel of the Empire'. He could see his breath, indicating that it was chilly, and also giving away that it was currently the dark season, and nearing his hatching day, which was to be celebrated in just a few days on the steps of the Church of the Knight. However, right now he was supposed to be shopping, and he was getting off track. Heading straight to the marketplace, with what little coin he and  Kanaya  had scraped together throughout the week doing jobs here and there securely in his pocket, he began to think;  what if he didn't make it to his hatching day? He was a mutant after all, and was practically born to be culled; brought up alongside Kanaya  by her guardian troll, and doing errands as a dockhand of  Merinius like many lowbloods , whilst Kanaya  worked as a seamstress. They weren't exactly politicians, impervious to the law's harsh grip.

His rather dreary train of thought was interrupted as he turned the corner to the town square, where the market took place each week; each fortnight in the light season. There was a group by the doors of the Church of the Knight, and what seemed like a highblooded Overseer speaking to them. Curiosity piqued,  Karkat made his way to the back of the crowd, only just catching the main point of the Overseer's visit; "-research has come up to say that Our Lord, The Knight was a mutant. This will not be tolerated; and so this place of worship, and all others throughout Alternia, will be abandoned, and worship of The Knight  banished until this theory is disproved."  Karkat could clearly see now the ceruleanblooded  Overseer, with harsh features and curved, sharp pointed horns. His glare settled on the crowd, "now do go back to what you were doing, I must speak with the high cleric of this establishment." and with that, the blueblood marched inside the holy place with a sweep of his cloak to indicate that half of his guards follow him. In less than a minute, most of the crowd had erupted into a cacophony of insults and outrage, only some milling off back to their stalls, seeing it stupid to yell upon deaf ears.

The short-statured male turned to see that the butcher had returned to her stall. He sidled away from the crowd and made his way over; better to get the shopping done now, so that he could get back and have the dawn meal done before Kanaya got back, because she was a pain if he hadn't gotten anything of note done while the docks were out of business. The ice had trespassed into their waters far too much to work safely. The town's best butcher offered a wave to him, a grin spreading on his features;  "Hi Vantas. Getting your nose in whilst everyone else is wrapped up in religious hoofbeastshit ?" the fellow troll said, then turning to focus on bringing a rather large knife down on a dead cluckbeast . "Don't say that, Kareli. I had a religious upbringing you know... I just don't think there's any point in shouting at people who wouldn't possibly listen to anyone more than two castes below them. Nep sends her regards, along with two lopbeasts. That should translate to how much gold?" he inquired, producing a package that wasn't particularly well tied, and depositing it on the counter where  he wouldn't get his hand chopped off. "Eh, we're a bit low on money, but I can take it from you for three gold and throw in half of this cluckbeast." he offered, and that was good enough for the mutant. He gave a nod and notified the other troll that he would be back in five or so minutes. He went about his business with the yelling of townspeople and guards alike still going on, but it was dying down. He quickly wrapped up his shopping, getting the golden fabric that Kanaya had requested, and the gold and half a cluckbeast  that had been promised to him. 

He was about to make his way out when something caught his eye, a sneaky, rather crafty looking troll watching the proceedings. He recognised  the garment that she was wearing as a sketch on Kanaya's wall at some point, he hadn't seen the plan in colour, though. Most of the long dress was black, with a flowing skirt that represented the horrerterrors in the children's stories as far as he knew from the notes. It was fairly plain, violet writing of an unknown language on the skirt- and that was when he realised; that troll was a  violetblood. She had fins. She was a seadweller, but most seadwellers would probably rather drown in a bowl of shit rather than take a visit to Merinius. She had tall horns that curved back only slightly, and her eyes were in full colour, indicating that she was probably around half a sweep older than himself. Her hair was cut short, in a 'bob' sort of shape, and currently she was speaking with the weaponsmith, pointing to an enchanted sword before walking off and practically disappearing. It was as if she hadn't been there in the first place.

The next surprising thing was when the  weaponsmith; a tall and burly troll beckoned him over. "The r-royal gave me the money. Told me to-to give you this. Said you'd need it."  He reported quickly, handing over the sword in it's sheath to the  mutantblood , before scurrying off as if scared out of his wits. And rightly he should be. Because as Karkat turned to face the shouts, -which had become louder in the past few minutes or so- blade met rebel, and the floor and surrounding group was covered in a bronze-yellow blood. The crowd began running, scattering and screaming. Then from the shadows, there was a flash of steel from the shadows and a face he knew well leaped at one of the guards. Cureno Fortec ; a troll he had grown up with, a skilled assassin, and one of the rare caste of lime. His mind flashed to the sword in his hands, and as what some people could be seen as recklessly, went to help his limeblooded 'friend' as a guard swung at the assassin, almost each time, the guard's blade met air, as well as a psychic attack.

His bag was on his back, seeming heavier that usual as he ran to the fight, blade brandished in what was probably a sloppy composure. Stabbing and slashing, the nubby-horned troll fought fiercely alongside his friend- until he was cut. All of those small cuts, bruises and tears that he had hidden came forth, welling at his skin as the guard let out a screech, quickly silenced by the limeblood's dagger. 

An understanding nod passed between them as the troll with the long, curved horns and shallow features yelled; "run!"

And he didn't need telling twice to turn tail and do as he said, sprinting  through the backstreets and alleys, covering the  wound on his arm as best he could.


	2. The Witch blessed the lowbloods, upon hearing of their plight.

 

 

> ** "The Witch blessed the lowbloods, upon hearing of their plight. She sent down a saviour, The First Helmsman, to free them and bless the mortal plane with powers before sacrificing himself to those highbloods who show no compassion. Those who are the hated of The Prince." -- Volume of Rubric; Book of Breeze. **

It didn't take him long to stumble his way through alleyways and get to the back door of the hive he and  Kanaya  shared. Surprisingly, his bag with his things in was still firmly on his back, which he swiftly dumped on the table by the back door as he slammed it shut and went rifling through the cupboards for the bandages and disinfectant as this deep wound on his arm wasn't going to patch itself up. And after hisses and the burning of pressure on the wound, he had tied it up the best he could without healing  psionics being involved.

The small troll then proceeded to gather together supplies; food from the thermal hull, some more bandages, plenty of water, a bedroll and fabric that could be used to make a small encampment. That should be enough, as well as the small amount of gold he had. He then wrote a somewhat neat note to Kanaya ;

_ 'Kanaya , I'll be gone for a while, but don't worry. I'm laying low for a while. Going to see Nep in the wilds. I've taken a bit of gold, as well as the armour you tried to keep from me.  _

_ Remember; YOU DIDN'T KNOW ME! _

_ Signed, KV.' _

Ha, that should teach her from making leather armour and then trying to hide it from him! He retrieved the armour from it's hideaway in the stock cupboard, and donned it. If he was honest, the multitude of pockets and the dark shade of the thing, coupled with the hood and mask that came with it to obscure his feature, made him look like a thief. And he was going to be similar to a fugitive in a day or two, once word got to the empress of his blood colour . So he had to run. And he was intending to run tonight. He'd go to that town on the border of the wilds. An old stronghold, protecting them from the monsters of the wilds in the old days.

From there he would go and find his good friend  Nepeta Leijon , who lived out in the wilds. She was an oliveblood , and hunted in the wilds despite the danger factor of it all. That was the safest place right now; even with the constant prowling of the monsters.

Tearing his thoughts away from the idea of staying in the wilds, he put up the hood with a flick of his hand, and pulled up the cloth mask to above his nose before picking up his pack and vacating the hive. By the time  Kanaya  got back, he was too far away for her to catch him, and although she cursed his stupidity under her breath as she paced back and forth, she wasn't surprised. She had been informed of this ahead of time by a rather unlikely customer of hers,  a seer; and not just any old seer either.

\---

Several hours on a farmers cart had left  Karkat  grumpy and strained. The fact that he had been whacked in the face by a tree branch without warning made him a tad on edge too; if it bruised, he was given away. Before or after they killed him, he wasn't sure. He had arrived in a rural village, the only things there being an inn, -where he planned to stay the day- a shop, small as it was, and the ruins of  Teveran Keep, where a rebellion had taken place, resulting in the keep being destroyed, and a  lowblood  village being established there. 

He got more than a few suspicious looks as he made his way to the inn, renting a room and putting his things there before buying a mug of god-knows-what that they brewed up here in the frozen wasteland. He was busy minding his own business when he was approached by a lanky, dual-horned troll who had rather bizarre eyes, giving away that he was a psionic. The fellow troll had his own drink in hand as he sat across from Karkat , effectively cornering him. 

"You look really dodgy, you know? You'll get into a good bit of trouble if you keep on prancing around like that. But anyway, the name's  Sollux  Captor; Goldblood ."  He introduced himself, holding out a hand laden with scruffy claws that looked like they hadn't been filed. Ever.  Karkat returned the gesture, shaking his hand with his own well-trimmed clawed hand. He figured that lying would be a good option, and pretending that he was a highblood might just scare the psychic off. "I can do what I want,  _lowblood_.  Stefel Simiol. Ceruleanblood." He snapped.  He felt filthy for addressing the troll like that, withdrawing his hand quickly and acting as high and mighty as he possibly could without feeling like shit. He received a sharp glare, as expected, along with a harsh response of; "Not like one of your brood to come here. What did you do to get stationed in the festering pit at such a young age?" He was clearly poking fun at the fact that his eyes hadn't molted yet and that his horns were short. He had experimented with colours before, and found that he could fake being as high as an blueblood if he was careful, and applied the coloured magnification plates to his eyes properly when they molted. Well, that was the theory, anyway. He hesitated for a moment before saying; "Disobeyed some orders. Did things my own way. Got put out here to search for a rogue  oliveblood. You wouldn't happen to know her name or where she is, would you?" He inquired; if this guy sold Nepeta out, then  Karkat would know not to speak to him.

"Why should I tell you?" The question was followed by silence for a moment. "I know her name's Nepeta, but I don't know where she bases herself. Somewhere in the wilds, close to here. Nobody knows; so don't go asking around."  The goldblood warned, then taking himself back over to the group on the other side of the tavern. Talk about weak mental strength; barring the powers. Tomorrow night, he'd have to go out looking for Nep; and ask her about this guy.


End file.
